Publication Ethics

Seltics Journal: Scope of English Language Teaching, Literature, and Linguistics Journal is committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, and responsible scholarly publishing. The journal expects all parties involved in the publication process, including authors, editors, reviewers, and the publisher, to uphold the principles of honesty, transparency, fairness, confidentiality, accountability, and respect for intellectual property.

This policy establishes the ethical responsibilities of the parties involved in the submission, peer-review, editorial decision-making, and publication processes. It also outlines the journal's approach to addressing suspected research and publication misconduct and maintaining the integrity of the scholarly record.

1. Ethical Responsibilities of Authors

Authors submitting manuscripts to Seltics Journal are responsible for ensuring the originality, accuracy, and integrity of their work. Authors are expected to:

Submit original manuscripts that have not been plagiarized, fabricated, falsified, or otherwise manipulated inappropriately.
Ensure that the manuscript is not under consideration for publication by another journal simultaneously and disclose any relevant prior publication or dissemination of substantially similar work.
Provide accurate citations and references for all ideas, quotations, data, and materials obtained from other sources.
Ensure that authorship accurately reflects meaningful scholarly contributions and that all listed authors have approved the final manuscript and agreed to its submission.
Avoid inappropriate authorship practices, including gift authorship, guest authorship, and the omission of individuals who have made qualifying contributions.
Disclose relevant financial and non-financial conflicts of interest, funding sources, and other information that could influence the research or its interpretation.
Obtain appropriate ethical approval, informed consent, and permission to use copyrighted or third-party materials whenever required.
Present research findings accurately and avoid fabricating, falsifying, selectively misrepresenting, or inappropriately manipulating data.
Respond constructively to editorial and reviewer comments and provide clarifications, corrections, or supporting information when reasonably requested.
Disclose the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tools when required by the journal's applicable policies and remain responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all submitted content.

Authors must promptly inform the editorial team if they discover a significant error in a submitted or published manuscript and cooperate with the journal in correcting the scholarly record when necessary.

2. Ethical Responsibilities of Editors

Editors are responsible for ensuring that manuscripts are evaluated fairly, objectively, and in accordance with the journal's editorial policies. Editors are expected to:

Assess manuscripts based on scholarly merit, originality, relevance to the journal's focus and scope, methodological soundness, and contribution to the field.
Make editorial decisions without discrimination based on authors' nationality, institutional affiliation, gender, personal characteristics, or other irrelevant considerations.
Maintain the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, reviewer reports, and editorial communications.
Select qualified reviewers whose expertise is appropriate to the subject matter of the manuscript.
Manage the peer-review process impartially and ensure that editorial decisions are informed by relevant scholarly assessments and the journal's publication standards.
Identify and manage potential conflicts of interest and arrange for independent editorial handling when necessary.
Avoid using unpublished information from submitted manuscripts for personal or professional advantage.
Address suspected ethical violations, including plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, and inappropriate authorship, in a fair and timely manner.
Consider complaints and appeals objectively and provide appropriate opportunities for relevant parties to present explanations or supporting evidence.
Take appropriate action when credible concerns arise about published articles, including considering corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when warranted.

Editors retain responsibility for editorial decisions and must not allow commercial, personal, or other inappropriate pressures to compromise the integrity of the editorial process.

3. Ethical Responsibilities of Reviewers

Reviewers contribute to maintaining the quality, credibility, and integrity of scholarly publications. Reviewers are expected to:

Evaluate manuscripts objectively, constructively, and within their areas of expertise.
Provide clear, evidence-based feedback that helps editors make informed decisions and enables authors to improve their work.
Treat manuscripts and related review materials as confidential documents and not share them without appropriate authorization.
Refrain from using unpublished information obtained through peer review for personal, professional, or competitive advantage.
Identify relevant published work that has not been properly acknowledged and inform the editor of suspected plagiarism, duplicate publication, or other ethical concerns.
Disclose any potential conflicts of interest and decline the review if such conflicts could compromise their impartiality.
Complete reviews within the agreed timeframe or notify the editor if additional time is required.
Avoid personal criticism, discriminatory comments, and inappropriate language in review reports.
Disclose and use AI-assisted tools in accordance with the journal's applicable policies, while protecting the confidentiality of manuscripts and review materials.

Reviewers must not make editorial decisions on behalf of the journal. Their role is to provide an independent scholarly assessment to support the editorial decision-making process.

4. Ethical Responsibilities of the Publisher

The publisher of Seltics Journal is responsible for supporting the journal's editorial operations and promoting ethical and transparent scholarly publishing. The publisher is expected to:

Provide appropriate administrative, organizational, and technical support for the journal's editorial and publication activities.
Respect editorial independence and avoid inappropriate interference in editorial decisions, peer review, or the assessment of individual manuscripts.
Support the editorial team in maintaining and implementing publication ethics policies and addressing suspected misconduct.
Cooperate with the editorial team in taking appropriate action when ethical concerns arise, including the publication of corrections, expressions of concern, or retractions when justified.
Support transparent communication of journal policies, ownership, management, publication procedures, copyright, and licensing arrangements.
Support the proper management and accessibility of published content in accordance with the journal's available technical facilities and established archiving arrangements.
Respect the confidentiality and privacy of authors, reviewers, editors, and other individuals involved in the publication process.
Support the editorial team in reviewing and improving journal policies when necessary to maintain responsible publication practices.

The publisher must respect the professional judgment of editors and reviewers and must not require the acceptance or rejection of a manuscript for reasons that undermine scholarly integrity.

5. Originality, Plagiarism, and Duplicate Publication

Seltics Journal does not accept plagiarism, inappropriate reuse of previously published material, duplicate publication, or other practices that misrepresent the originality of scholarly work.

Authors must appropriately acknowledge the sources of ideas, quotations, data, and other materials used in their manuscripts. Reuse of an author's own previously published material must be transparent, appropriately cited, and consistent with applicable copyright and publication requirements.

Manuscripts may be screened using similarity-checking tools as part of the editorial process. Similarity reports are assessed in context because a similarity percentage alone does not establish whether plagiarism has occurred. The editorial team considers the nature, source, extent, and context of textual overlap when determining whether further action is necessary.

Further requirements and procedures are provided in the journal's Plagiarism Policy.

6. Authorship and Contributorship

Authorship must reflect genuine scholarly contributions to the work. Individuals who qualify for authorship should be appropriately credited, while individuals who have not made qualifying contributions should not be listed as authors.

All listed authors must approve the final version of the manuscript and agree to its submission. Any changes to authorship during the editorial process must be explained and approved by the relevant authors in accordance with the journal's procedures.

Contributions that do not qualify for authorship should be acknowledged appropriately when relevant and with the necessary consent.

Disputes concerning authorship or contributorship will be assessed by the editorial team based on the information and evidence available. The journal may request clarification or supporting documentation before deciding on an appropriate course of action.

7. Conflicts of Interest

Authors, reviewers, editors, and the publisher must disclose any financial or non-financial interests that could influence, or reasonably appear to influence, their judgment or actions in the publication process.

Authors must disclose relevant conflicts of interest in their submissions. Reviewers must inform the editor of potential conflicts before undertaking a review. Editors must not handle manuscripts in which they have a conflict that could compromise their impartiality and should arrange for independent handling when necessary.

The existence of a conflict of interest does not automatically imply misconduct. However, failure to disclose a relevant conflict may require further editorial assessment.

Detailed requirements are provided in the journal's Conflict of Interest Policy.

8. Research Integrity and Ethical Oversight

Authors are responsible for conducting and reporting their research in accordance with applicable ethical standards and relevant institutional or legal requirements.

Where applicable, research involving human participants, personal data, vulnerable populations, or other ethically sensitive subjects must comply with the relevant requirements for ethical approval, informed consent, privacy, and protection of participants.

Authors must accurately report their research methods and findings and provide additional information or supporting documentation when reasonably requested by the editorial team to clarify concerns about the integrity of the work.

The journal may request information about ethical approval, consent, data handling, or research procedures when relevant to the submitted manuscript.

9. Allegations of Research and Publication Misconduct

Seltics Journal takes allegations of research and publication misconduct seriously, whether they arise before or after publication. Potential misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

Plagiarism or inappropriate reuse of published material.
Duplicate submission or publication.
Fabrication or falsification of data.
Inappropriate authorship or undisclosed authorship changes.
Undisclosed conflicts of interest.
Misrepresentation of research methods or findings.
Unethical research involving human participants or other protected subjects.
Manipulation of the peer-review or publication process.

When an allegation or credible concern is received, the editorial team will assess the available information and may request explanations, supporting documents, or further clarification from the relevant parties.

The journal will handle concerns fairly and confidentially, provide relevant parties with a reasonable opportunity to respond where appropriate, and seek independent advice or contact relevant institutions when necessary.

Depending on the nature and seriousness of the issue and the available evidence, possible actions may include requesting clarification, rejecting a manuscript, requiring corrections, issuing an expression of concern, retracting a published article, or taking other appropriate editorial action.

Further procedures are described in the journal's Allegation of Research Misconduct Policy.

10. Use of Artificial Intelligence

The use of generative AI and AI-assisted tools in manuscript preparation, editorial work, and peer review must be consistent with the journal's applicable policies and the principles of transparency, confidentiality, and accountability.

AI tools cannot assume responsibility for the integrity, accuracy, or originality of scholarly work and therefore cannot be credited as authors.

Authors remain responsible for verifying AI-generated content, checking references and factual claims, protecting confidential information, and ensuring that the manuscript does not contain fabricated data, misleading statements, or improperly reproduced material.

Editors and reviewers must protect confidential manuscript information and must not use AI tools in ways that compromise confidentiality, impartiality, or the integrity of editorial decisions.

Any disclosure requirements and restrictions concerning AI use will be governed by the journal's applicable AI policy and author instructions.

11. Complaints and Appeals

Seltics Journal recognizes the right of authors and other relevant parties to raise legitimate concerns regarding editorial decisions, peer-review procedures, or alleged breaches of publication ethics.

Complaints and appeals should be submitted through the journal's official communication channels and should clearly explain the concern, provide relevant details, and include supporting evidence where available.

The editorial team will consider complaints and appeals objectively and impartially. Where a complaint concerns the conduct or decision of an editor, the journal should arrange for an appropriately independent person to assess the matter when feasible.

Submitting a complaint or appeal does not guarantee a change in the original decision. Any outcome will depend on the nature of the concern, the evidence available, and the journal's applicable procedures.

12. Corrections, Retractions, and Post-Publication Discussion

Seltics Journal is committed to maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the scholarly record after publication.

When significant errors, ethical concerns, or questions about the reliability of a published article are identified, the journal will assess the available evidence and determine whether editorial action is necessary.

Depending on the circumstances, the journal may publish a correction, an expression of concern, or a retraction. Such action should be proportionate to the nature and seriousness of the issue and should be communicated transparently.

The journal also considers legitimate scholarly comments and concerns about published articles through its established editorial communication channels. Post-publication concerns will be assessed fairly, and relevant authors may be invited to respond where appropriate.

The detailed procedures are provided in the journal's Correction and Retraction Policy and Post-Publication Discussion Policy.

13. Confidentiality and Privacy

All parties involved in the publication process must respect the confidentiality of submitted manuscripts, peer-review reports, editorial correspondence, and non-public information obtained through their roles.

Such information must not be disclosed or used for purposes unrelated to the legitimate handling of the manuscript, except where disclosure is authorized, required by applicable obligations, or necessary to investigate a serious ethical concern.

Personal information collected during submission and publication will be handled in accordance with the journal's Privacy Statement and applicable requirements.

14. Intellectual Property and Publication Transparency

Seltics Journal respects intellectual property rights and requires authors to acknowledge sources appropriately and obtain permission for copyrighted materials when necessary.

Authors and readers should be able to access clear information about the journal's copyright, licensing, open-access arrangements, publication procedures, and any applicable publication charges.

Copyright and licensing arrangements are governed by the journal's Copyright Notice and applicable License Policy. This Publication Ethics policy should be read together with those documents and other relevant journal policies.

15. Ethical Oversight and Editorial Action

The editorial team is responsible for implementing this policy throughout the submission, review, and publication processes. Ethical concerns will be assessed in a manner appropriate to the nature of the issue, the evidence available, and the relevant journal policies.

Where necessary, the journal may seek additional information, consult independent experts, request institutional clarification, or take appropriate editorial action. Decisions should be made fairly, proportionately, and with due regard for confidentiality and the integrity of the scholarly record.

The journal may review and update this policy when necessary to reflect changes in scholarly publishing practices and applicable ethical standards. Any revision should be communicated through the journal's official website.

16. Related Policies

This Publication Ethics policy should be read together with the following policies and guidelines of Seltics Journal:

Plagiarism Policy
Conflict of Interest Policy
Peer Review Process
Allegation of Research Misconduct Policy
Authorship Criteria
Correction and Retraction Policy
Post-Publication Discussion Policy
AI Policy
Author Guidelines

These documents provide further details on specific requirements and procedures applicable to authors, editors, reviewers, the publisher, and other parties involved in the publication process.